The Apprenticeship
by Constant-Dr3am3r
Summary: Yagari saves a girl from vampires.  She decides to dedicate her life to exterminating them.  During her one year trial period, who other than Zero moniters her improvement?  OCXZero.
1. Chapter 1

The chilly night time air swirled around me, blowing my hair this way and that. My eyes stung from the dry wind's bite and my body couldn't stop trembling from it's futile attempts to create body heat. My face was numb as it broke into a huge grin. This was my first time outside for a little over a year, and I was exhilarated. I felt like spinning despite the unsavory weather, but I resisted my childish urge as I glanced back at my 'guards'.

"Do you think she's okay?" The bigger one asked, probably referring to my, admittedly, slightly creepy smile. It's not like vampires care if you're cold. Which I am. My smile wilted a bit as the reality of how cold it really was sunk in. I started to shiver violently as all thoughts of spinning around left my head.

"She's cold. Should we do something?" The smaller one questioned, probably wondering if it would hurt there chances if I was sick. I want to know when they started caring if the goods were damaged. I sighed and looked at my discolored arms.

The larger one noticed my annoyed gaze and nudged his partner and pointed at my multitude of bruises.

"Maybe you should give her your jacket Hachirou, she looks pretty banged up..." I snorted. Of course I looked banged up. Just last week he had a very violent session, and most of the darker bruises were his doing. Hachirou shrugged off his jacket and tossed it to me. I caught it and hurriedly put it on, snuggling into it.

"Now I'm cold Gorou", Hachirou complained.

"Her arms are covered and now she won't get sick. That might make her an acceptable gift." I turned away and wrinkled my nose.

"Just put her in the car so we can go." Hachirou whined, exasperated at Gorou for insinuating I was more important than him. I bit back a smile. Let him be uncomfortable. His sessions hurt the most. And the bruises lasted the longest.

Gorou opened the car door and slid in, motioning for me to follow. Hachirou followed suit and closed the door behind him. Then the car started and we were on our way. I sat ramrod stiff, trying to avoid contact with either vampire. They ignored me, which suited me just fine. I continuously took peeks out the window, wondering where we were headed. All I know is that they intend to try and use me as a bargaining chip. Me and my blood for forgiveness for their rebellious actions.

About one hour of this and I started to feel... uncomfortable. I looked down and frowned. I shuddered and braced myself, I wasn't looking forward to asking them to stop. I tentatively pulled on Gorou's shirt and he looked down at me questioningly. I looked down pointedly and he raised an eyebrow. I sighed and shifted uncomfortably, which he seemed to understand.

"Hachirou, we need a pit stop." I sighed again, this time with relief, glad I asked Gorou instead of Hachirou. The latter looked at me with disgust and sighed.

"Fine." We stopped at the nearest gas station, which couldn't be close enough in my opinion. I fidgeted in anticipation as Gorou opened the door and Hachirou sneered at me. I bit my lip and and made a dash for the restroom, almost knocking over someone else. I stopped and turned, blushing and bowing in apology as Hichirou snickered. I looked up at him, hoping he wasn't angry. He was glaring at Hachirou, then his expression changed to recognition. He looked down at me his face was still serious, but had lost it's edge.

"Are you with them?" I nodded stiffly. His brows furrowed and he seemed to go into deep thought. I fidgeted and Hachirou shouted.

"Come on girl, we don't have all day!" The man turned back to him and his face smoothed as a sort of sick smile appeared on him. I shivered and ran into the bathroom.

I sighed as I rinsed my hands, my reflexion looked awful. It's not like I wasn't aware that I looked bad, but this was just pathetic. My left cheek was black and blue, my lips were scratched up, and my neck was marked beyond recognition. Not to mention the fact that my unharmed skin was so pale it was almost translucent since I hadn't been outside for a year. At least it was clean... and my hair was shiny. I smiled at that, thankful the vampires that took me wanted me to be clean and healthy. It was similar to being a concubine, only kept for my blood instead of my body thankfully.

"So, think he'll change her, or just kill her?" Hachirou asked out side the bathroom window. I stopped.

"Not sure, but it's not like he can keep her human. He's a pure blood. Either he changes her, or he drains her. Simple as that." My heart stopped, then picked back up on double time. My only choices were to die or be a monster. I need to escape. Obviously the window was out. But where could I go? I opened the door slowly and peeked out. There was a middle aged man at the register, a younger man covered in tattoos with a very young girl who was barely dressed hanging over him, and the guy I bumped into earlier. He was probably my best bet.

I tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door. I crouched to the ground and began making my way to him. Once I reached him I grabbed his shirt and tugged on it. He quickly looked down at me confused. I took a deep breath. Not only had I not been outside in a year, I haven't spoken in ten of those months. I opened my mouth and nothing came out. He frowned and I tried again. This time a very soft "Help" came out. His eye widened-as he only had one- and he crouched down beside me.

"What's wrong?" I licked my lips. "I don't want to die." His face went blank.

"Do you know what they are?" I nodded and pulled back my collar, exposing the fang marks from the last feeding... only there was more than one set. His eye softened. "How long have they had you?" I took another deep breath,

"One year." His expression was shocked.

"What's your name?" My name. What was my name? I bit my lip and thought back. Himiko. My mom named me Himiko.

"Himiko." He nodded.

"Well Himiko, I'll take care of this."

He looked around the room and smiled, walking casually to the other wall. Then he slammed his elbow into the fire alarm. The shrieking noise startled the other occupants, and they rushed out to their cars. I ducked behind an isle and peeped my head out, waiting. Hachirou and Gorou rushed in, frantically looking for me. I yelped as I heard a loud bang and clamped my hands to my ears. My eyes widened as I saw Gorou's head explode. I looked back towards the man I ran into and saw he had a smoking gun in his hands. That's when Hachirou attacked.

He launched himself at the man and I tensed. He seemed to be winning. I bit my lip and shuddered, desperate to stay alive. Then something snapped. I calmly walked over to the alarm and picked up an especially large piece of glass. I sick sort of smile twisted on my face as I turned to the monster who had abused me mercilessly for this past year. My grin widened and I pounced on his back and stabbed him. Then I stabbed him again, and again. Over and over as he shrieked, trying to get loose. His blood got everywhere, splattering all over me.

I didn't stop until he quit breathing. I gave one final stab, and left it lodged in his chest cavity. I looked down at my trembling, blood soaked hands and began laughing. At first it was a frantic, crazed laugh, then it changed to a broken progression of sobs, as I drug my hands through my hair. Tears welled up as I started clawing at my blood covered skin. A hand stopped my half crazed attempts and arms wrapped around me. I clutched at my hero and trembled as more sobs assailed me.

"It's okay Himiko. It's okay," a deep voice repeated as that and my progressively lighter sobs lulled me into oblivion.

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AN: Feel free to review. I've got a few more of these, but, I'd like to space them out a bit. And get at least three people to tell me they like it before I do more than five chapters... Ja ne.


	2. Chapter 2

I slowly opened my eyes and groaned. That had to be one of the oddest dreams of my life. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, stretching in the process. I wearily looked around my room and blinked. This wasn't my room. I looked down at myself to see myself in the same blood stained clothes from my dream. I smiled, slightly comforted by this. I got out of the bed and tentatively approached the door.

I pushed it open and saw a hallway filled with people walking to and from various doors. I tensed up and slammed the door shut. I looked around the room again and spotted a bathroom. I tiptoed over to it and ducked my head in. It was empty. I walked over to the shower and smiled. Looking down at myself again was all the incentive I needed. I turned on the shower and began to strip. After I was completely naked I stepped in the shower and lathered up.

Turning off the water, I stepped out of the shower smelling like apples and rain, instead of blood and sweat. I pulled a towel around me and looked in the mirror. Even without the blood my face was a mess. How many bruises had I received? I shook my head and roughly towel dried my hair. I looked out the door again, and saw the hallway was empty. I closed the door quietly and dashed down the hallway. Until I bumped in to someone.

He looked about my age, with lavender eyes and silver hair. I bowed in apology, and he just glared at me. I flinched and bowed deeper.

"Forgive me vampire-sama. I did not know I was to stay in the room."

"Zero. what did you do to the poor girl?" I jumped and looked up to see the man from the store. I stumbled behind him and trembled.

"Please sir. Don't let him bite me." Tears started to well up. I peeked out from behind him to see the vampire boy eying my battered being.

"What happened to her?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of me.

"I'm not exactly sure. I was going to take her to the head, and get the information from her." I shivered and vampire boy looked at me. I flinched and he frowned.

"Here." he handed me his jacket. I shook my head and his frown deepened. I looked up at my savior, but he was watching the exchange with an amused expression.

"Vampire-sama expects me to accept his gift. But Himiko knows better than that." I bit my lip and drew in a ragged breath. "I don't want to be indebted to you vampire-sama." At that realization hit.

"I don't want anything from you. I just don't want you cold." I opened my mouth to say something else, but my savior took the vampire's jacket and dropped it on me.

"Zero isn't like the other vampires. He is a vampire hunter." I cocked my head to the side and furrowed my brows. A vampire that hunts other vampires? That's when I remembered what Goruo and Hachiruo had said. He must be a made vampire. I put the jacket on and bowed to him.

"Forgive me vampire-sama. I understand the situation now."

"Call him Zero. And I'm Yagari." I nodded and bowed to each of them again. Yagari ushered me through the hall, with Zero following. Suddenly we reached a door that was bigger than the other doors. Yagari opened it and motioned for me to enter. There sat a person of questionable gender. I pulled on Yagari's sleeve and he looked down at me. I motioned for him to bend down, and he complied.

"Is that a man or a woman?" I asked, pointing at the person at the desk. Yagari threw back his head and laughed. Zero and the person gave us a questioning look.

"The first." he replied, eyes full of amusement. I looked at the man behind the desk and shrugged.

"What is this about, Yagari?" he asked, perturbed.

"Well Himiko, tell us about what happened."

"My mom was Chiharu, she traveled to England and dated my father, Akio, a half Japanese business man. They had me and my mother left without me because my father thought she was crazy. He refused to give custody to someone who believed in vampires. After I turned eleven I decided I wanted to visit her on holidays. The Christmas of my fifteenth year, I was captured."

"Your mother believed in vampires?" the head asked. I nodded.

"She told my father she was a vampire hunter." Yagari and the head exchanged a look.

"Chiharu Hamasaki." Yagari stated. "She died November that year, didn't you know?" I shook my head. "Who abducted you?" The head asked.

"The two that were there when I met Yagari-sama were Gorou and Hachirou. There were six others. I was captured at first to be a sacrifice to Rido, though when he died, they just used me as a blood bank. Which of course is where these came from." I held out my arms for emphasis, though my face alone was probably enough.

"They kept me there for a year. Just recently they decided to sacrifice me to. Um... Well I don't know his name." I looked down to hide my face. "All I know is it was supposed to be an apology." I peeked a look and saw they were all deep in thought.

"Kuran?" Zero asked.

"Probably." Yagari concurred. I bit my lip and fidgeted. What was I going to do? Mom was dead, and dad probably thought I was by now.

"Yagari sama, will you teach me how to be a vampire hunter?" He looked at me with surprise.

"Why would you want to do that?" I sighed and shook my head. I thought back on when I had killed Hachirou, the thrill that had gone through me.

"I assume you took care of them Yagari." the head continued, unfazed by my question.

"One of them, she took care of the other." Both Zero and the head looked at me.

"She killed him?" the head asked doubtfully.

"Yes, with some broken glass." Zero's look was respectful, while the head's look was calculating. It reminded me of the vampires stares and it made me shiver. "Yagari, I think you should train her, if she's half as talented as Chiharu, she'll be amazing." I flinched at that complement.

"Do you really think that's a good idea? I mean look at her." Zero stated. I looked down at myself and frowned.

"I'm sorry?" He gave me an exasperated look and I flinched.

"Look at her, she's afraid of her own shadow." Yagari and the head looked at me, taking in my subservient and fearful attitude.

"Actually, I'm not afraid of my shadow, after being stuck in the dark for a year, the dark doesn't scare me." The head smiled approvingly.

"It's settled then, Yagari, meet your new student."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Chapter three is really short... Sorry if the writing seems... juvinile? I wrote it a while ago (before the wonder of third person hit), and I've been tryin to finish it. Also, I realize I've yet to leave a disclaimer. Oops.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. Not that anone thinks I do.

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One Year Later

I looked up at the sky and smiled wistfully. I was once again in weather that was to cold for my taste, but this time I had proper clothing and I wasn't being held hostage by vampires. Vampires. The reason I was out tonight. A shadow caught my eye, and I grinned. I casually approached the alley, slowly walking through it.

"Little Red Riding Hood, don't you know better than to play when the big bad wolf is out?" His arms went around my middle from behind, and he leaned in to bite my neck. I reached into my jacket and pulled out my dagger, stabbing him in the heart. He fell back, choking, and clutching his chest. I looked at him, a smug grin on my face.

"Yeah. Watch out for the big bad wolf."

I sheathed my dagger and started towards home, humming a tune and swinging my arms. I had completed that without getting blood on me this time, and I was quite proud of it. My smile faded slightly as I thought about my accomplishment. I would finish my training by spending a year with someone closer to my age. And that just happened to be Zero. I frowned at that. Yagari san had reassured me that Zero was a... safe vampire, well, as safe as a vampire can be.

I looked up at the school gates and sighed. I was late for dinner. Of course Yagari san never gave me a curfew, what with my vampire hunting, but tonight we were supposed to eat with the chairman. I braced myself and headed towards his living space. I peeked my head through the door, and after assuring myself no one was there I tiptoed in. As I slunk past the chairman's office I heard voices.

"Are you sure she's ready Yagari?" I stopped, and listened more intently. "Of course she is. I've never had a harder working student, and she's progressing at a wonderful rate." I flushed with pride at that. Yagari san didn't say things like that often.

"What about Zero? Is he ready?" I bit my lip and waited for the response to that.

"If he isn't ready now, then he really needs her." I frowned. Zero needs me? I thought back on the serious boy I had met a year ago. I sighed and made my way to the dinner table, sitting down and waiting for the chairman's barely edible food. Yagari and the chairman filed into the dining room then and took their seats.

"No blood." Yagari commented. I smiled and held up my hands for inspection. "Good. Tomorrow we're taking you to meet Zero." My smile widened. The chairman looked at me, face forever smiling.

"Excited?" I nodded, chewing his 'my style' curry.

"How is Zero?" Yagari asked the chairman. I continued eating, pretending not to listen.

"He seems to be able to take his tablets." the chairman responded. I frowned.

"Zero can't take tablet's?" They both looked at me strangely.

"At first they couldn't satiate his thirst." the chairman explained. So Zero was in love. Only the blood of a vampire's loved one can satisfy them. But how is he able to take them now?

"Did she die?" They had continued their conversation, so they turned back to me, confused.

"Who?" Yagari asked. My brows furrowed.

"The girl he loves. Did she die?" Yagari chuckled and the chairman frowned. "Yuuki is a pure blood." My frown deepened.

"Yuuki Kuran?" Yagari nodded. Zero must feel awful, to fall in love with something you hate. "May I be excused? I want to start packing." Yagari nodded, so I got up to leave. Once I reached my room I sighed. No wonder Zero was always so upset. But, it doesn't seem likely that he doesn't love her any more. I slid down the wall, laying my head in my hands. If he still loved Yuuki, then he couldn't take the tablets. So that must mean he doesn't love her, right? I got up and stripped down, walking to the shower to wash off.

Most of my shallow scars were gone now, though about seven still remained. I looked at my reflection and wrinkled my nose. The girl there was not very pretty. At least not in the traditional way. Yes I was attractive enough, but my body was to hard, muscled. My skin, while clear, was still almost translucent, and my hair, though clean, was full of split ends. Then there was my figure. Something I could be proud of. I had enough cleavage for someone my size, not to small, or to big, and my waist, do to my constant training, was a nice eight inches smaller than my hips, which flared out nicely. Attractive enough, but nothing truly beautiful. I rolled my hazel eyes and jumped in the shower.

After toweling off, and throwing on my night gown, I packed my few belongings. A few shirts, pants, a jacket. And my blades. I lay them gently in, except for one. My first one. I would carry her tomorrow. I had left out something for tomorrow, and looked around my room. It was empty, sparing the blade, suitcase, and outfit. I slipped into my bed and drifted off to sleep, thoughts on tomorrow, and the the boy I would soon be living with.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of Yagari knocking on my door. I jumped up and hurriedly dressed. I dashed out the door and met him at the entrance. He looked down at me and smiled. I grinned back and we made our way to the hunter's association, where we would meet Zero.

"He doesn't know yet." Yagari stated. I looked at him with concern.

"Why not?" My voice had a trace of panic in it. Yagari patted my head and I sighed, no use worrying now. Though I couldn't help feeling like not telling him was a bad idea.

We arrived at Yagari's office without incident. I took my seat beside him and sighed, waiting for Zero to arrive. After a few minuets the door slung open revealing a fuming Zero. He glared at Yagari, who just gave him a bored look.

"What's this about meeting with the vampire's?" His voice was furious. I looked from him to Yagari and back again.

"I don't want to hear it Zero. Anyways, you have a bigger matter to attend to right now." Zero's eyes narrowed.

"And what would that be?" Yagari nodded his head towards me.

"She's your responsibility now." The look Zero gave Yagari could have curdled milk. I jumped out of my seat and bowed to him before he could speak.

"I am honored to be trained by Zero-san." He gave me a frustrated look. "It's not safe for me to train her." Yagari raised his eyebrows. "I am a vampire. She shouldn't be trained by me." I frowned.

"But Zero-san, Yagari san says you are his best student. I want to learn from you." Again he gave me a frustrated look. I just stared right back.

"It's settled then. Have her ready to go with you next week." I drew in a breath of surprise as Zero gave Yagari a panicked look.

"How am I supposed to keep her safe at a meeting full of vampires?" His voice was exasperated. I frowned, a little offended.

"I do not need you to keep me safe. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Good. Off you kids go." Yagari muttered, ushering us out of the room. I sighed, as I made my way to Zero's place. He looked down at me, pissed off. "What? You want me to carry your bags?" I looked down at the luggage I was carrying and back at him.

"No, I'm fine." His expression softened almost imperceptibly, and he grabbed my larger bag. I smiled at him, and we continued our way at a reasonable pace.

We reached his apartment, and I looked around, noticing the presence of only one bed. I wrinkled my nose and dropped my stuff off on the couch. He noticed my expression and raise an eyebrow.

"It's nothing." He shook his head and stalked off to his bedroom. After I was sure the door was closed I began unpacking. The first thing that came out was my blade collection. I lay them gently on the table, almost with a sort of reverence. I smiled wistfully at them, remembering all the blood I had drawn, all the filthy vampires I had killed using them.

I glanced at my clothes and sighed, leaving them in the case. I checked to make sure Zero was still in his room, and made my way to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, I frowned at the lack of food. Of course vampires don't eat a lot, but this was ridiculous. Shaking my head I pulled out a few eggs and began making an omelet. As I was flipping the egg sheet, Zero approached me.

"What are you doing?" I didn't waver at all at the sound of his voice. "Cooking, what does it look like?" He snorted. I plated the meal and grabbed some Tabasco sauce. I handed Zero a plate and he looked down at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought vampires could still eat." my voice was innocent, but his eyes narrowed regardless.

"They can." I frowned, then shrugged, not really caring if he ate, one way or another. He did take a bite, chewed slowly, then scarfed the rest down, leaving me with a mostly full plate as he did his dishes.

"I'll take you grocery shopping tonight, after work." I nodded and worked on my food, unsure how to proceed. Mentally I knew Zero probably wasn't going to hurt me... but deep down, I was terrified of him. He was a vampire. A filthy, blood sucking monster.

"Where's your gun?" His voice broke my concentration, and my eyes darted up.

"Excuse me?"

"Your gun. Where is it? I see all your blades but" I cut him off as understanding dawned on me.

"I don't have a gun." His brows furrowed, and I sighed, looking down in frustration. "It seems impersonal. I like to feel their life draining from their bodies. You don't get that with a gun." I glanced back up to catch his thoughtful expression.

"I thought girls didn't like getting messy." I scowled at the jab, but quickly regained my composure.

"They don't. But I love having their filthy blood all over me." A sort of sick smile played on his lips as I continued eating.

"You can show me your technique after you put your stuff away." I swallowed my last bite and looked around the apartment again.

"Where?"

"The bedroom of course." I blinked at him.

"There's only one bed." My statement caused him to flinch and turn away quickly.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch obviously." My head was shaking before he could finish.

"But it's your house. I don't mind the couch." He looked back at me, slightly perturbed.

"Look, you are sleeping on the bed. Whether you do so alone or not is your decision." I balked.

"Excuse me for trying to be polite." I turned sharply, grabbed my things, and stormed into the nearest room.

That just happened to be the bathroom. I was unwilling to admit to a mistake, so I slammed the door, threw my stuff down, while still careful with my blades, and slipped down to the floor.

It took a few seconds, but finally I heard his footsteps heading for the kitchen. Then the sink. Drawing my knees up under my chin, I shuddered. Maybe I wasn't ready for this. But the images of all that blood flashed before me, and I smiled, content. When the sink turned off, I rose, slowly, stretching each vertebrae separately. Tentatively, I peeked out the door to see Zero sprawled out on the couch, eyes closed.

I slipped out and tiptoed into the bedroom, searching for a few spare linens. It took a few moments, but I found a pillow, and a couple blankets in a closet. Straining, I reached for them, only for my fingers barely grazing the fabric. That's when I heard the creak. Spinning as fast as I could, I managed to kick Zero's feet out from under him.

"You scared me." He stared up at me, taken aback by my attack.

"I was trying to help." I smiled apologetically and offered my hand. He ignored it and jumped up, leaving me feeling awkward. He then retrieved the articles from the closet and handed them to me. Staring up in to his lavender eyes, I frowned.

"We could alternate." At first he didn't seem to hear me, but after a second his brows furrowed.

"What?" His proximity was intoxicating, and my heart reacted, speeding up erratically. The only reference I had for the organs behavior was adrenaline while Killing a vampire. And when his fangs lengthened in reaction to said organ, I acted, spinning him and slamming him against the wall.

"I don't care what Yagari-sensei said. If you lay your fangs on me, I will kill you. No hesitation." He smirked, and then switched our positions, fangs already receding.

"I'll hold you to that." Nodding, I shoved him off.

"Who gets the bed tonight?"

"Ladies first."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: So this is the last chapter I'm updating without two more reviews. It's not that I'm holding it ransom, I just want to know if I should invest more time into it. Also, I don't own Vampire Knight...

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Patrolling with Zero was... interesting. He was silent, stalking the streets with a fierce focus about him. I was impressed. We hadn't spotted a vampire though, and I was starting to get impatient. Perhaps it was a quiet night? No sooner did that thought cross my mind than Zero turned, facing an abandoned house. I reached into my holster, tenderly stroking my blade. He glanced down and nodded, giving me the go ahead.

I proceeded slowly, making sure to check my surroundings as I approached the home. Zero followed, not wanting to interfere. The door was unlocked, a bad sign. I pulled out my weapon and spun her, ready for battle. Creeping silently through the house felt natural, right, and I shivered in response to the thrill it sent me. It was in a spare bedroom, it's fangs red and dripping, face a mess of congealing liquid. The girl was on the bed, pale and near death. Slipping the dagger up my sleeve, I put on my innocent act.

"Onee-chan! Are you in here?" The creature focused his gaze on me and froze.

"What are you doing here?" The venom in his voice was chilling, but I kept to my facade.

"Is nee chan okay?" He blinked, then smiled, expecting another meal and making my stomach churn.

"Come here, sweet little morsel." I knew he had put in a compulsion, could feel it try to control me, so I walked forward pretending to be affected. His grin widened, showing the carnage of his recent meal. As I reached him, I looked up and smiled, anticipating the rush I was about to experience.

In a second my knife was implanted in his chest, right above his heart.

"One for each bite." He gasped as I pulled it out, painfully slow, and impaled him again, and again, true to my word. His blood was coating me, flowing down my body, staining my skin and clothing. Suddenly he stopped struggling, falling to the floor in a puddle of his own blood. I started laughing, a gasping sequence of chuckles that ripped through me.

"I thought you could do that without getting dirty." I turned to him, eyes wide and frenzied.

"That wasn't his first feeding. He was using her." Understanding dawned and his eyes softened.

"She's dead." It wasn't a question, but I nodded in affirmative. He pulled out his cell phone and made a call to the association for clean up. When he was done, he frowned, looking down with a mixture of amusement and frustration. "I'm not sure if we can go to the store with you like this." I sighed and looked down in embarrassment.

"Sorry." He didn't respond, just turned and shrugged off his jacket, handing it to me. I accepted it this time without argument and we were off, hopefully to a shower.

"Just make me a list of what you need, and I'll get it while you clean up." I nodded, flexing my hand in response to the drying blood on my hands. He looked down at my movement and smirked. I glared back and his smirk turned into a grin. Indignant, I turned away, contemplating the boy beside me once again.

"Why do you hunt?" The question startled him, but he recovered quickly, giving me an odd look.

"Just because I'm a monster doesn't mean I want to be." My lips pursed as my brows furrowed.

"But you loved one." He stopped, surprising me. I turned to give him an exasperated frown, when I saw how furious he was.

"She wasn't a monster when I knew her." The venom in his voice put me on edge, my hands twitched for my blade unconsciously. His eyes trained on my hand and he growled.

"You can't make a pure blood." That caused him to focus back on my face, giving me the distraction I needed to tackle him to the ground, blade to his throat. The streets were thankfully empty at this time of night, but my eyes shifted uncomfortably, hoping no one came by. His lavender eyes would have killed me if they could, but I kept my hand trained to his jugular. Finally his gaze softened to mild irritation, causing an odd feeling to erupt in my chest.

"You can get off now." I complied, my body moving in a stiff robotic fashion. He straightened himself up and frowned down at me. My clenched hands caused my nails to bite into my hand, calming my erratic organ.

"It's not polite to growl, Sensei." He scowled at the title I gave, which only sent a sense of satisfaction through me. "Besides, I thought you didn't want to be an animal." I then turned abruptly, not wanting to see the hurt expression that fleeted across his face before it was replaced with a glare. But I did see. Keeping my pace brisk was easy enough, as was locating Zero's residence, ignoring his gaze on my back was another matter entirely.

"You don't have to run you know, I won't bite you... your not my type." I snorted, not missing a step.

"Oh, and spoiled vampire princesses are? Can't say much about you taste... Sensei." The growl behind me brought a smile to my face as we reached his residence. After dropping his coat on the couch, I looked down to assess the damage and frowned. The dried blood covered me almost entirely. My eyes flickered to the vampire in front of me and I froze.

"Don't you dare make me knock you on your ass three times today... Sensei." His intense gaze broke as he blinked, and a sort of smirk played on his lips, and that 'sort of' smirk was doing things to my stomach.

"I'd like to see you try... Miko-chan." My gaze narrowed.

"Eggs, rice, milk, fish, soy sauce, noodle, shrimp, pork, seaweed both dried and fresh, as well as Jasmin tea." His confused expression was priceless. "My grocery list. Don't forget anything." I didn't wait to see if his face changed, just stormed into the bathroom and turned on the shower.


	6. Chapter 6

**I realize I said I wouldn't update until I got three reviews but... I changed my mind. I'm going to at least post the others I had already written.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or Celmisia**

* * *

I waited for the door to close before leisurely walking out and strolling through the apartment, searching for the bleach. I found it under the sink, put the stopper in said sink, and dumped the bottle. Once the basin was full, I pulled off my clothes and immersed them in the liquid. I then pulled out my blade and began washing her, carefully removing all traces of the offensive fluid.

Once that was done, I grabbed my bathroom necessities, and turned the shower on high. While I was waiting for the water to heat up, I contemplated the boy I was staying with. I was now regreting my callous words regarding the pureblood princess, and it pissed me off. I hated the sympathy that coursed through me, but from the snippets of things Yagari told me, I couldn't help but feel that Zero was a kindred spirit of sorts.

And I didn't want to feel that for a stupid vampire, even if he felt the same way about the monsters. The steam from the shower had filled the room by now, so I stepped in, hissing at the sting, both cringing in pain and relishing the implications of it. Perhaps it was perverse, but the fact that the water was scalding me, brought a sense of satisfaction. Because that meant it was washing all of the carnage from earlier off of me.

I began to sing about half way through the shower, enjoying the soothing scent of apples and rain. "_I want to know this secret. I want to know your secrets. I won't tell any soul. I won't tell, never tell._" The water was now starting to cool, so I turned it off and pulled back the curtain, searching for the towel. There wasn't any. Frowning, I called out.

"Zero-san?" There was no answer. Shrugging, I stepped out and opened the door the find myself standing completely naked in front of him. My eyes widened as my mind raced. How long had he been there? I felt my heart quicken even as I realized this was his plan. So much for sympathy. I drew in a deep breath and glared at him, praying my anger would erase my embarressment for the moment.

"What the hell sensei?" I inwardly praised myself for keeping my voice from trembling, glad my stance was furious with my hands fisted and resting on my hips. "Just because you're a pervert doesn't mean you can molest me this way..." He almost took the bait, it was so close I could feel it, but he stopped himself just in time.

"Molest you?" His tone was bored, and it irritated me. He wasn't allowed to take my comments without reaction.

"I didn't know sensei was kinky like this." Again, close, but he held his retort in, smirking instead.

"Towels are in the closet." I scowled, but quickly grabbed one, wrapping it around myself and storming into the bedroom to change. The shorts were cotton, the shirt sleeveless, both black and comfortable. I left the room with my head held high only to find the idiot was asleep on the couch. Resisting the urge to throw a toaster at his head, I began to check that he got everything.

Surprisingly he did. Except the tea was peppermint. He had also removed my cloths and drained the bleach. I sighed and glared at the boy on the couch, wanting more than anything to get a rise out of him. "I thought vampires only slept during the day." He didn't act like he heard me, but he did respond.

"We have school tomorrow." I scoffed, surely he wasn't serious.

"I don't go to school." He didn't even stir.

"You do now." My glare intensified, and stomped into my room, slammed the door, and pulled out my blades, deciding to polish them all night. That kept me occupied for about two hours. Wich left me with about two more till dawn. Shrugging I dug through my suit case to pull out cloths to patrol only to come out with a school uniform. I blinked at it. Twice. Then, I threw it on the ground in disgust. I continued rummaging, finally finding something suitable, and slipped into it.

Opening the door with expert care, I peeked through and found Zero asleep on the couch. I tiptoed out, and as soon as I creaked the door shut, I made a run for it, not caring if he heard, just wanting to make it out. He didn't follow me, and after exiting the building I let out a sigh of relief. I had no intention of going to school the next morning.

I crept through the door as the clock was about to strike six. Gently closing it, I slid into the room, under the covers, and closed my eyes, not bothering to change until Zero left. I had just started to drift off when he opened the door and swept the covers off of me.

"Time to get ready for school." I rolled over, burrowing my face in the pillow.

"No." He was silent for a moment, making me hope he had left. Of course, he hadn't. One second I was about to fall into blissful unawareness, the next I was on the floor glaring into amathyst eyes. "No means no sensei." A smirk graced his lips at that retort.

"Yagari-san sent you uniforms, and the chairman told me you are supposed to come." My eyes narrowed.

"When?" The smirk grew.

"During your little outing." I felt the light dusting on my cheeks before I controlled it.

"I'm not going. I haven't gone in two years, and I sure as hell am not going to be held back." I wanted to slap that mildly understanding look right off his well sculpted face.

"I highly doubt the Chairman will hold you back." My mind was racing, trying to come up with a decent reason not to go.

"Yagari-san wouldn't make me." It was my last attempt, and a fairly pathetic one at that, and he saw right through it.

"Why don't you confront him about it. He is one of the teachers." A slow smile crept onto my face. I would get back at that dirty traitor.

"Fine." I waited for him to leave so I could change, which he didn't. Shrugging, I pulled my top off. "I guess you really are a pervert sensei." By the time I got the shirt over my head, he was gone and the door was closed. My lips quirked slightly as I glanced down, only to grimace at the ridiculous outfit I was supposed to wear. Stupid mini skirt.

* * *

For the thirty-seventh time this morning I pulled the hem of my skirt down. By now Zero didn't even bother to follow my movements. Hiding blades on ones person isn't easy when your skirt only reaches your mid thigh. I glanced enviously at the trousers Zero was allowed to wear and sighed. Stupid double standards, gender oriented, vampire ridden school.

We were right outside of the Chairman's office and I already wanted to curl up on the floor and sleep. The overly exuberant man opened the door, flinging his arms around us, talking nonsense about how glad he was I was here. I somehow managed to disentangle myself, smoothing out my now disarrayed skirt.

"Chairman-san, I don't want to be here." He stopped his rant and leveled me with a calm, mature look.

"I'm sorry Himiko-chan, but as your guardian of sorts, Yagari has the right to put you in school." My glare was unimpressive, especially after my yawn.

"But Chairman-san! I'm two years behind." I stuck out my bottom lip, hoping to gain cuteness points. "Besides, I'm not going to learn anything I need for killing." Perhaps my words were wrong, but the effect was desirable.

"How about a compromise? You only stay back one year, you can be in the same class as Zero!" I glanced at the surly boy beside me and sighed. It was better than nothing.

"Fine."

"Yay!" Before the chairman could grab us again, Zero drug me out of his reaches and towards the classroom. It wasn't easy keeping up, my body sluggish from my lack of sleep. He let go of my sleeve as soon as we reached a door that I assumed to be the classroom. I glared blankly at it and sighed, shoving the doors open and shuffling in, only to collapse at the first seat I saw and pass out.

It seemed like only a second before a pile of books were dropped on my desk, startling me into a rigid pose. My eyes narrowed on the perpetrator, Yagari. He was giving me a bemused look, as though he found my exhaustion amusing, and it was grating on me.

"Leave me alone." I then folded my arms and laid my head back down, not caring about stupid Yagari. The class was silent, as if they were shocked by my behavior. A smirk crept up on my face as I anticipated his move. I wasn't disappointed. Hi grabbed me roughly by the collar, pulling me up to look at me.

"Sleepy?" I glared.

"Yeah, that seems to happen when you're up all night." I could feel the eyes on my back, and it sent a light blush to my cheeks. He seemed to find my sarcasm amusing, because he was now smirking.

"Were you up all night with Kiryu, 'cause he's knocked out as well?" I rolled my eyes.

"Of course I was." It wasn't until the intake of breaths around me that the meaning of my words sunk in. Stupid innuendos. The blush was now noticeable, and I decided it was best to leave. So I Pulled his hand from around my collar and stalked out, just wanting to be rid of all of those people. No one stopped me, and as I meandered around the grounds I found myself in a stable. Sighing in defeat, I collapsed on the hay and tried once again to get to sleep.

* * *

The first thing I became aware of was the sound of decidedly non horse foot steps. I felt the rustling of hay as someone sat next to me, and I sighed, not bothering to open my eyes. "I'm sorry Yagari-san. I know it was rude of me to do that." There was no answer, so I decided to go on. "I just don't want to be here. I mean, I can't focus on exterminating if I'm forced to go to the stupid school." Still no answer. Sighing, I opened my eyes to find Zero beside me.

"Any reason why everyone thinks we hooked up last night?" I felt that cursed blush creep up and hid my face with my arm.

"Sorry Zero-sensei! It came out wrong." I frowned at the throaty sound of his chuckle, peeking past my sleeve. My blush intensified as I took in how... good he looked laughing. Stupid good looking vampires. I groaned, pushing myself into a sitting position. "I'm not going back." His laughter settled, but a slight smirk remained.

"Yes you are." I inwardly scowled at his taunting.

"No. I'm going back to the apartment, getting a couple more hours of sleep, and then, I'm going to do the only thing I'm good at." He seemed to contemplate that for a second.

"What did you want to do before this happened?" I frowned, thinking back. What did I want before this?

"I don't know. I think I wanted to bake." He snorted.

"Bake? You wanted to bake?" I glared.

"Hey! I am an excellent baker I'll have you know. I was going to enter one of those crazy cake competitions and win enough money to open my own shop. It would be nice..." His gaze softened, and I felt myself being pulled into those lavender eyes. I blinked, breaking the connection and shook my head to clear it.

"What about you Zero-sensei?" He smirked.

"I always wanted to kill vampires." I rolled my eyes.

"What, no family?" A sort of distance seemed to develop after I said that.

"I was changed before I could get that far." I couldn't help but feel he needed a hug. And I wanted to give him one. Stupid vampire. I settled for patting his head, which elicted an adorable scowl from him. And the fact adorable was the word i used to describe him brought a scowl to my face.

"I'm still not going to school. Even if I was to become a pastry chef, this school doesn't help me." His lips quirked in a sad sort of smile.

"Yagari won't be happy." I snorted.

"Oh well." We sat there for a second, before standing and walking back to the apartment, happy with our silent understanding.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. **

* * *

After spending a week with Zero, I decided the hunter wasn't that bad. The lemon scent of the dish soap was almost homey by now, and my hands seemed to soften with their continued exposure.

"What do you want for desert?" It was a question I asked every night after he learned of my aptitude for pastries. His lips pursed in contemplation before he responded.

"You pick." I was already expecting that response, as it was the same he had given me every time I asked. We had just finished breakfast, and though I was starting to trust Zero, he was still a vampire. So I dropped a tablet into a glass and handed it to him. He never responded when I did this, but I had a feeling it bothered him.

"Yagari's coming over tonight." He nodded, remembering the conversation we had with the chairman after the little fiasco called my first day of school. A knock on the door brought me out of my revere, and a small smirk played on my lips at his slightly disturbing timing. Zero rolled his eyes and opened the door, revealing not only Yagari, but the Chairman as well.

"Happy birthday Himiko-chan!" The bespectecled man threw himself at me, sqeezing me in enthusiasm. I began squirming, attempting to break free from his hold. He took the hint, letting me go abruptly, and a sense of sadness descended upon me. I felt like I was disappointing him. Stupid Chairman.

"Well, Yagari-kun and I got you a present!" His singsong voice was a little to cheerful,as were the two colorful boxes.

"It's your birthday?" I turned to an ambivalent Zero, which was one I didn't like apparently.

"Ellegedly." He snorted and I inwardly sighed.

"Open mine first!" I took the box the chairman was thrusting at me and grimaced. Best get it over with. Inside was a crimson satin dress.

"It's very Jessica Rabbit." The confused looks I got made me smile. " A cartoon character from America." Zero shrugged along with Yagari.

"But you like it?" A puppy dog pout was all it took to break me.

"Of course. The slit makes weapon access easier." It wasn't quite the response he wanted, but Yagari handed me his present to me before he could protest. This time I pulled out a pair of silver claws.

"They're beautiful." I almost felt bad for giving this present a better response, but the heavy feel of silver was too intoxicating. Zero snorted as the chairman huffed.

"You ruined her Yagari-kun." Said man rolled his eyes.

"The dress is actually for the assignment tomorrow."

"You mean I can't just wear this?" I gestured to my jeans and turtle neck, both of which were well loved and well worn.

"No." I sputtered.

"But Zero gets to wear his normal clothes!"

"Well, Zero is... Zero." I could feel my eye twitching, my hand trembling. It seemed my self control wasn't what it should be.

"Fine. I won't go." I was bluffing, but no one else needed to know that. It appeared that Yagari was going to call it before the Chairman interjected.

"But Himiko-chan, who will help Zero on his mission? He might go beserk and kill all the guests." My brows wrinkled at his comment.

"And that's my problem, how?" I wasn't sure why his disappointment in me was surprising, but it was. I couldn't fathom why a vampire would stand up for the filthy monsters like that.

"You're going." I glared at Yagari before sighing.

"You couldn't have gotten something more conservative?" The Chairman pouted, causing me to frown.

"Just wear a jacket." I glanced at Zero, realized my only hope of getting out of wearing the dress was gone, and groaned.

"I'm leaving." Pushing past the two adults, I dropped the dress on the couch and slipped the claws on to my fingers before stalking out the door. It wasn't safe, wearing something like that in a room full of vampires. And while I had no qualms with killing them, I didn't just go out provoking them.

The night sky was lovely, the moon a simple slither surrounded by the stars. I shoved my hands in my pockets, partially to hide the claws, and partially to block the cold. It wasn't to terribly biting, but I had become a creature of comfort, and liked my frivolities. I knew Zero was behind me. Knew he was going to follow me all night if he needed to. In a way having a vampire do that put me on edge. But somehow Zero made it tolerable.

"I won't let them bite you." I stopped, turning to face his approaching figure.

"I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself. It just seems unnecessary to put myself in a position like that." His eyes narrowed shrewdly.

"That's not the only reason you're being like this." A grimace passed my features as he hit it on the nail.

"You don't know what it's like. When there's more than one. When they know what they're doing." His expression was puzzled, not comprehending my case. "The difference between a level E and the rest is that the level E is acting totally on instinct, no thought involved. When they know what they're doing, when they consciously hurt you, it makes it so much worse."

I'm not sure what expression flitted across his face, but the fact he allowed me to see it was enough to compensate for my admission.

"Let's just patrol." I nodded, ant swiveled, ready to take out my insecurities on unsuspecting beasts. "They won't bite you." His promise seemed less of an insult, and more of an endearment now, and it brought a warm, foreign feeling in my chest.

"Thank you."

* * *

It was almost dawn, and I was starving. I glanced over at Zero, who looked no worse for wear and sighed. He returned my gaze and my complaining stomach flipped.

"What?" I frowned at his cold tone, but shrugged it off, by now realizing almost anything Zero said was cold.

"Can we get something to eat?" He scowled, but changed our destination to a small café. I almost snorted when we entered, finding it to be extremely... girlie, and not at all something a vampire slash vampire hunter would associate himself with. He seemed to read my thoughts as he sent me a dark look. I shrugged, a smirk playing on my lips as the waitress seated us.

The menu was full of desserts, and while I loved the concoctions, there was no way in hell I was eating something that decadent for dinner. "Is there anything normal here?" He snorted, and then pointed to a small section of the menu with different flavors of Soba. I sighed and stared at Zero while I waited for the Waitress to come. He gave me an odd look and turned away, leaving me bored and hungry.

"What can I get for you?"

"Jasmin tea and soki soba." She nodded and turned to Zero, only to gasp.

"I know you! You came here with your little girlfriend before. What happened to her, is this your new one?" I could sense the emotion rolling off of him more than see it, but he just shook his head and glared.

"Nishin soba." It looked like the waitress wanted to ask more, but Zero's death glare scared her off.

"If I find spit in my food, I'm blaming you." He blinked, then scoffed.

"You're the one who was 'hungry', it's your fault." My eyes rolled.

"I wasn't rude o the waitress. And who's this girlfriend of yours, huh? Compatition maybe." It was meant as a joke, a way to lighten the mood, but it did the opposite. He just scowled and looked away, refusing to meet my questioning gaze. To me, the waitress thinking we were dating was hilarious, but apparently even someone thinking it was slightly possible we were an item was abhorrent to him.

Well, I didn't want to date the filthy vampire anyways. Of course his reaction tipped me off to who his 'girlfriend' was. I wasn't sure why, but the fact he took me to a place he took Yuuki upset me.

"Let's not come here anymore." He didn't respond, but I was almost positive he agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight**

Also, a big thanks to LadyFromTheMoon for reviewing not once but twice. Her review is actually the reason this came out so soon.

* * *

The dress was tight, clinging to me in a way that was uncomfortable, despite how well it looked on me. And it did look good. The cut showcased my curves, emphasized my toned well work abdomen, and displayed my defined legs. The color was even complementary to me, bringing out the red in my hair and the green in my eyes.

But irrigardless, it was inaproppriate for fighting vampires. I rubbed my bared arms self counciously, not used to them being so naked. Before the scars healed it had been imparative that I kept up appearances, so I always covered them. Even after, it was a forced habit. They weren't brutalized anymore, only a few pink and fading scars marring them.

I let out a sigh of resignation as I strapped my blades to my thigh, much like a garter, and slipped on my claws.

"I'm ready Zero-sensei." He peered into the bathroom and nodded, motioning for me to lead the way out. I glanced enviously at his attire, wishing I could go in comfortable clothes. "It's not to tempting, is it?" He didn't respond, but his eyes flashed, pressing me to hurry out of the apartment.

The walk wasn't to terribly long, though the heels the chairman got me were torture. I glanced surreptitiously at Zero and slipped them off when he wasn't looking. It was bad enough I had to face vampires in this dress, there was no way I was doing so in heels that I couldn't run in.

"I saw that." I shrugged, hiding my indignant blush as he chuckled. "Is it so bad to look like a girl?" I glared at him, sending thoughts of a painful death.

"I always look like a girl. Just because I don't feel comfortable being surrounded by monsters in cloths I can't defend myself in doesn't make me less feminine." He snorted at me, and looked down, eyes almost soft with amusement. But as soon as his gaze touched my neck, it flashed once again. My fingers itched at my blade, though I didn't draw it. Working with someone in life or death situations develops a sense of trust.

He quickly averted his eyes when he caught my movement, and I relaxed marginally. "You need a tablet?" He shook his head, still not facing me, and I sighed, shrugging in defeat. We continued in an almost tense silence, but when we reached the gates to the mansion the party was being hosted at I blinked.

"What the hell? They need this much room to dance?" He glanced at me and smirked.

"Damn vampires always go overboard." I smiled. Already I stopped thinking of Zero as a vampire. He was just a human with a condition to me, not a filthy monster. I began to approach the doors confidently, him following me when we were intercepted by one of said monsters.

"Kiryu-kun, so nice to see you." I blinked at the blond and shifted my gaze warily to Zero.

"Takuma." He was oblivious to the snub in his voice, continuing without missing a beat.

"And who is this lovely lady? Your date?" He reached for my hand, and before it processed I had my blade to his throat.

"Don't touch me." He was calm, hands held up in surrender.

"Ah, Kiryu-kun, she has spunk." My eyes narrowed as my hand lowered. I backed away and turned, swaying my hips as I entered the building with a smug Zero trailing me.

It was more opulent than I had anticipated, glistening in the crystal light. I almost turned and left I was so uncomfortable. But I had a duty to fulfill. Squaring my shoulders, I marched to the nearest column and began to scan for disturbances.

They were all so perfect, their hair meticulous in it's styling, their clothes accentuating them in the way that made them the most attractive. And they were all filthy, blood sucking monsters. My back was pressed firmly against the column behind me, as I didn't want my back exposed to the beasts.

It was almost lulling, the nearly hypnotic movements across the dance floor. The swishing of skirts and brushing of fabrics, the swirling and turning, I almost lost my focus in the sea of chiffon and silk. The music was lilting, the notes swarming in my head. That was when I saw them.

It was more of a feeling at first, the intense energy of Kuran Kaname. It was decidedly odd, seeing the man I was supposed to be given to. A chill went down my spine. They looked remarkably similar, same eyes, same hair. But that was expected of siblings. That thought sickened me, another reason vampires were monsters. I took a closer look at Yuuki and fought back the sneer.

She was practically a child. Her body was small, petit in the extreme. But despite that she was still beautiful. Like a porcalin doll, chained to the scary man beside her. A foriegn feeling trilled through me, it was dark, almost angry, and it sent violent shivers down my system.

They were gone then, swept up in the swimming bodies. I relaxed marginally, pulling up my hand and watching as the light played on the silver. My mind wandered to Zero's odd behavior, remembering the strange flash of red. My breathing became slightly labored at the thought, and I clenched my eyes shut, concentrating on the mission instead of my, regrettably, handsome sensei.

There was a shift to my left, something that wasn't graceful and elegant. I spun, dashing towards the disturbance. 'Oh shit'.

"Zero, why is there a human here?" He glanced at me and then jerked his chin towards Kaito. I glared at him, fighting the urge to strangle the idiot. "I'm taking her out of here. Now." He smirked at me, setting me on edge. Zero barely restrained me before I lunged.

"She has no way to protect herself." It was a hiss of fury that just made his smirk wider. It was then that the 'princess' decided to make her appearance.

"Yori-chan!" My fists were shaking as the girl just hugged that... _monster_. I felt Zero leave as soon as Yuuki arrived, and a sort of sympathy washed through me before my more professional side took over.

"I'm sorry, Kuran-sama, but she is not safe here. I need to remove her from the premises." They turned to me and frowned.

"Of course she's safe." The utter naivety of the girl astounded me.

"No, she isn't. _I'm_not safe here. But unlike her, if someone attacks me I can defend myself. What is she going to do, bleed all over their designer clothing?" I didn't understand how she could put her supposed friend in danger. She did recoil at my words, and I forced a chagrined look on my face.

"I mean no disrespect Kuran-sama. I am just trying to keep her safe and the guests _comfortable_. She smiled weakly.

"Of course." I nodded, escorting the blond out. She came with me without arguing, and that made me feel slightly better. After we made it outside, I spotted Zero.

"Just take her home. Kaito can help me." I scowled.

"No fair. I want to try out my new babies..." Zero snorted as Yori sent me a reproachful look.

"Just go. You can test them later. Or if you're lucky, you'll catch one on the way." I rolled my eyes, but left with the willing student.

"...You sure are friendly with Zero-san."

"And you sure are friendly with Kuran-sama. Especially for a human." She stiffened.

"You are a human as well if I'm not mistaken."

"You aren't. But I don't go near such filthy beasts without backup." I pulled out my blade and spun it for emphasis. She shuddered.

"But Zero is a vampire."

"Hunter."

"Excuse me?"

"He is first and foremost a hunter. The fact that he is a vampire is inconsequential." She pondered that for a second.

"Well Yuuki-chan is first and foremost my friend." I smiled.

"Yes, but if Zero loses control, I can take him. Can you say the same for yourself?"

"Yuuki would never do that." I shrugged, giving up on showing the girl reason.

"The gate is here, you got it, or you want me to walk you to your room?"

"I'm fine." I nodded and left, heading for the apartment.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Okay, so here is some serious stuff. Warning on the content. For some reason vampire violence makes movies rated R. Not sure why. Also, Zero's POV. Yay? Please tell me how I did on that, for some reason I feel like I butchered it.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

* * *

I had just curled up on the couch to sleep when Zero walked in. Or rather nearly ripped it off it's hinges and slammed the door shut. I jolted, rushing to him to assess the damage. He just glared at me and pushed past to the bathroom, leaving me startled and confused.

I slowly approached the door, my hands trembling as I tentatively knocked. "Zero-kun?" The only sounds I got were retching and growls. I panicked, kicking down the door to find Zero sprawled out on the floor, breathing shallowly as blood coated the room. A sick sense of euphoria rushed through me before I could quell it. My steppes were more subconscious than anything, but soon I found myself kneeling next to the panting man.

"Get out." It was forced and rough, and I found it absolutely intoxicating. Some part of my brain seemed to still function enough to realize this was because he was rejecting the tablets and I should get the hell out of there. But that part was so small, the rest of me just sat there completely inthralled. He was inching closer, I saw that he was fighting it... and losing. Thankfully my instincts kicked in when he neared my throat.

I yelped, kicking him in the jaw and scrambling back. I hit the wall and couldn't move any further. He rose, slowly stalking me, lost of all senses. My babies were in the other room, He would catch me if I ran. I shank then, regressing to the mental state of a little abused victim. Tears filled my eyes as he lowered himself in front of me. I was sobbing, and he leaned down to my neck, licking it sensuously. The shivers that raked through me were violent, I found myself unable to move. He opened his mouth, showing his elongated fangs, and I panicked.

"Wait!" He did, surprisingly. His head cocked, his eyes still that eery red. "Not from my neck." I held out my wrist, hoping he would understand. He carrassed the trembling apendage and smirked animalistically. A hint of humor fleeted through my mind as I acknowledged that he was a beast. He licked my wrist this time, and I clenched my eyes shut, not wanting to witness it again.

The pain was horrible at first, but after a few seconds Zero realized what was going on. I opened my eyes to see the self hate in his lavender gaze. He couldn't bring himself to stop, but he did make it less painful. He did finally stop, and lick the pinprick clean. I stared up at him, not sure what to feel. I felt stupid for putting myself in that position. Betrayed that he hurt me. And fascinated by how the experience wasn't all bad.

"What happened? Did seeing Yuuki cause you not to digest them?" He scowled, looking away.

"No." I blinked, confused.

"Then what?" I was exasperated, where did he get off being moody when I was the one attacked? He gave me a pointed look and I scoffed, refusing to accept _that _as an explanation. He shrugged and glared at the cabinet, leaving me to contemplate the implications of his gesture. Surely _I_ wasn't the reason Zero couldn't digest the tablets. I glanced at him, and then the blood soaked room. Obviously spending time with monsters was bad. It made you forgive them for things that were inexcusable.

I stood then, deciding to leave him in the mess. To let him clean it up. "I'm taking the bed." He nodded, and I left, locking the bedroom door behind me.

* * *

The taste in my mouth wasn't sweet. It was to spicy for that. Like dark chocolate and chili powder. The rush had been amazing, the feel of that soft skin beneath my incisors, that thick liquid sliding down my throat, alleviating the thirst that had settled there.

I hated her. Hated her for being alive. For causing me this tormented need. And I loved her. Loved her smooth skin. Her delectable taste. A ragged breath escaped me as I heard the door lock. Good. She shouldn't trust me. I had hurt her, damaged an integral part of her.

Some of the hate I had for her directed itself at me. She was the victim. I was the monster. Plain and simple. I stood then, marched to the kitchen and grabbed the bleach, determined to get the gore out of the room if it killed me. And tomorrow I would take her back to Yagari.

It seemed like a good plan, to the human part of me. The part of me that hated her. That blamed her for my mess up. But the vampire part rebelled. The filthy monster wanted to curl up at her feet and beg for more of that rich elixir. I shook my head, hoping the bleach would clear my head. It did for the most part, and when I was done, I changed into my uniform and left for the academy. I would tell Yagari about what happened, and he would take her back.

I cringed, already missing the taste. Her breathing had evened out, though I took notice that all of her weapons were with her. With a resigned sigh I made to leave, only to hear the door open. I turned to see her,weapon not in hand, but strapped securely to her waist.

"Where are you going?" I blinked.

"To tell Yagari to come get you."

"Why?" I frowned. Didn't she realize how much danger she was in? She took a tentative step towards me and I backed away. "Zero... you didn't want to. That's enough for me." My shoulder sagged as I slumped against the wall. She came to me then, and for a second I thought she might hug me. But she wasn't sweet. She was to spicy to be.

Instead she patted my head and smiled. "You may be a monster Zero, but you're _my_ monster now." My hand of it's own accord grabbed hers and pulled it from my crown to my cheek, nuzzling it softly. Inhaling that intoxicating scent.

"Just don't bite my neck." I nodded, fascinated by the tender flesh against my face. I could be her monster. And she would be mine. It was nice, feeling for someone that saw you first. She smiled softly and gestured to the room with her free hand. "I'm going to get more sleep. You should to." I nodded, grazing my lips to her wrist once before releasing her.

She gave me a quizzical look, but shrugged and went back to the room. She didn't lock it, but then, she had her weapons. A good compromise.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Last update until December. Sorry, but NaNoWriMo is coming up, and I have to dedicate all of November to that. Hopefully the exploration of feelings and plot twist will keep you interested?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight**

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I woke up to find myself still in Zero's apartment. I wasn't quite sure why I was still here, and that scared me. My eyes shifted unconsciously towards the door as I considered the man behind it. I knew that I wasn't being completely honest with myself, understood that I was still here because for some unfathomable reason I had actually developed feelings for him.

I snorted, rolling on to my stomach in disgust. It was sick, the fact that I could feel something for him, but there was no denying the fact that I could forgive him for what her did. And what else could that ability be derived from other than affection. I groaned, rising to my knees on the mattress. With a yawn I slid out of bed, shuffling over to the door and opening it slowely.

I peered out of the crack I had formed, glancing around nervously. I spotted him on the couch, eyes closed, breathing even. A small smile graced my mouth before I could stop it as tender feelings assaulted me. My nose wrinkled as I bereted myself, already anoyed with these emotions. I drew in a deep breath and left the room, closing the door softly behind me.

I approached him, taking care not to make any noise. As I reached him I became more entranced by him. He was beautiful. I frowned, unable to stop myself from thinking of my inadequacies. His eyes fluttered open, and as his violet gaze met my hazel one I melted. He scowled, though I wasn't sure why.

"Where are you knives?" I blinked, totally confused.

"Excuse me?" His scowl deepened.

"Where. Are. Your. Knives." His words were all but spit at me, and instead of shrinking back, I glared.

"What the hell is your problem? And don't you dare say you're hungry, cause after last night, I highly doubt it." My voice was full of venom, and I instantly regretted it when he flinched.

"That's exactly why you need them with you at all times." I was already shaking my head before he was finished speaking.

"I have faith in you Zero." He turned away from me, and I drew in an agitated breath.

"You shouldn't. I attacked you." I rolled my eyes, wishing he'd stop helping my common sense condemn him.

"Look, I _hate _what you did to me. I hate being taken advantage of, and I hate the feeling of being used." His jaw was set, and a wave of sympathy assaulted me. "However, you need me. And for some reason I don't understand, I feel... something for you. And right now I think I liked you better as a blood crazed monster. At least you were nice then. So stop trying to tell me to hate you. Believe me, I have enough reasons without you.

"Did you mean what you said last night?" His voice didn't waver, but it held a sort of desperation, almost inperceptable, but there.

"Yeah." A ghost of a smile flitted on his lips, and my heart lurched. "So what now?" His frown returned, though more contemplative than anything.

"I don't know." I patted his head, my hand moving on it's own accord. He didn't shy away, rather closing his eyes. Like he was savoring the contact. I smiled, ruffling his hair before pulling back and standing.

"I guess we'll just figure it out as we go?" He nodded, and a happy sort of understanding filled the room.

A knock interrupted the calm, causing me to jump. A scowl settled on his face, marring the serene expression of a couple of seconds ago.

"Open up!'' The cheerful voice of the chairman made both of us groan.

"Go away." I bit back a laugh at his gruff tone.

"Just open the damn door." Yagari's voice chilled my laughter, and I stalked over to the door, opening it a bit roughly. The two men behind it eyed me, and I sighed, moving to allow them entrance. Zero was already standing, a glare set on his features. I closed the door and leaned against the wall.

"So, Himiko-chan, how was the action last night?" I frowned, brows furrowed. Surely escorting the student home didn't qualify as 'action'. Zero answered before I could ask what he meant.

"She left with Wakaba." The chairman's smile fell slightly.

"Oh. Well I suppose I should explain things before I give you the mission." I blinked, sending Yagari a wary look.

"I haven't finished my apprenticeship yet."

"Orders come from higher up."

"Yes, well, there was a pure blood murder last night." I shrugged, not sure how this was supposed to affect me.

"And I kill vampires." The chairman frowned, and once again I felt he was disappointed.

"Yes yes. But this was a pure blood." Zero snorted at that and the chairman narrowed his eyes slightly in disapproval.

"Look, the Kuran's want a day gaurd, and Yuuki requested you." Yagari's abrupt interuption made me choke.

"Excuse me?" He rolled his eyes.

"I know your _aversion_ to them, but the president agreed to lend your services against my advice."

"No." Yagari sighed, obviously irritated with the whole thing.

"You _will _guard them." His eyes stopped my argument before it could start. "Of course Zero will join you so you can continue your apprenticeship." I blanched, quickly looking at Zero to asses his reaction. His fists were trembling.

"No." Both men groaned, and I almost felt bad for them.

"This is not an option. Now you two pack up. You're going to the Kuran residence before daybreak... or you can loose your licence."


End file.
